Russia proposes testing foreigners for AIDS

A bill that would require all foreigners entering Russia to be tested for AIDS has provoked opposition from human rights activists but has been welcomed by some doctors. Only three members of the 450 seat Duma, the lower house of parliament, voted against the bill, which was passed after a stormy debate on 28 October.

Condemning AIDS as a disease imported from abroad, deputies agreed measures that would require every foreigner - even tourists and businesspeople on short visits - to carry proof that they were not infected with HIV. Those who are HIV positive or refuse to be tested would face deportation. The bill also makes …